I'll break it down for you. lol. Your stats must be coming from totals, which isn't a clear view of what someone does on a nightly basis especially if a player doesn't have as many games due to injury. To get a true sense of what you are getting in a trade you need to look at averages.

Kobe Bryant based on averages for the season is ranked #7 (Melo is ranked #9!!!!!).

But we aren't talking about that same Kobe any more. Present day Kobe has decided he is going to stop scoring and pass the ball around because his team wasn't winning. How did this affect him fantasy wise? For the past month he is ranked #47. For the past 14 days he is ranked #60. And last week he was ranked #147. He is trending down.

Now Dirk has been hurt and you are right, his stats reflect that. That's why when making a trade one should take that into consideration and not evaluate him based on his overall performance but instead on how he has been playing since he has got back in shape and got his legs back. Dirk is ranked #81 for the season. However, in the past month his ranking has moved to #41. In the past 14 days he is ranked #21 and last week he shot up to #6! That would be an example of trending up.

So yes, if you simply look at totals maybe this deal isn't so horrible, but if you look at actual performance the past 30 days and the projected value of the players this is highway robbery. The only way this deal makes sense is if you go back into a time machine and ignore the last month. In that universe, Dirk is still playing into shape and Kobe is leading the league in scoring while the Lakers can't salvage a win.

That said...

Carmelo has the best playoff schedule in the league and Deron Williams is a buy low candidate as he is just starting to play well again too after being hurt most of the season.

Our current leading candidate for rookie of the year is having a great season, but he also fights with the rookie wall that slows down stats. So this is likely a sell high situation for him as well.

So to summarize, three first round drafted players who are trending up are being traded for one first rounder and one high performing rookie that are trending down. Had this been a two for two swap, I would have totally got it. But it wasn't, so I see this as being massively lopsided.

Just my two cents. The trade will likely go through, but hopefully this helps those GMs who are accepting trades and have not considered some of the factors that contribute to true market fantasy value.

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My two cents; - there was no veto on that LBJ trade, so it would be kinda unfair to start using the veto all of a sudden - your assumptions are correct. A 2 for 2 trade would have made sense, but 3 top tier players for 1 1/2??

If the Commissioner wants to simply delete the trade, go ahead. I honestly think my team will be better without it. It's a free, fun league and the intention wasn't to cause any controversy.

Detteam, we have traded before, but NEVER made an unfair trade at the end of the season when one team was elimated. To be honest, he offered basically the same deal to another GM before he offered it to me.

If the Commissioner wants to simply delete the trade, go ahead. I honestly think my team will be better without it. It's a free, fun league and the intention wasn't to cause any controversy.

Detteam, we have traded before, but NEVER made an unfair trade at the end of the season when one team was elimated. To be honest, he offered basically the same deal to another GM before he offered it to me.

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I don't think there was any maliciousness or underhandedness involved in this trade. We are Detroit Pistons Forumites and I love all of you. The spirit has always been great here. The league is set to votes for a reason as I don't think one person should be allowed to determine "fairness" since it is a relative notion. That said, it is up to the GMs in the league to enforce the integrity of the league by not letting the balance get out of hand. This league is only as good as the GMs involved in it. Makes me wonder if a Lebron James for Stuckey deal was accepted if it would make it through unscathed.

If this trade flies beneath the radar that simply means that this entire league is sleeping behind the wheel. That makes two times where ridiculousness has been allowed to reign supreme because people can't seem to find the veto button or care. Hello is anyone out there? lol.

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Snoozing maybe. To my thinking about players and potential, it's a one sided trade. I'd do it in a heartbeat if I had Kobe, wouldn't even think about it if I was on the other side.

I could make the argument that Williams and Nowitzki could easily fall off a log and be out for weeks again, that Kobe is going to do everything he can to shoot the Lakers back into playoff contention, is tired of all the talk about LBJ anyway, and might even move up in the rankings. But that's a lot of ifs.

I guess I'm relying on the goodness and sense of fair play of my fellow managers not to propose trades that don't provide benefits to both sides. And hoping that's not naive.

I don't think there was any maliciousness or underhandedness involved in this trade. We are Detroit Pistons Forumites and I love all of you. The spirit has always been great here. The league is set to votes for a reason as I don't think one person should be allowed to determine "fairness" since it is a relative notion. That said, it is up to the GMs in the league to enforce the integrity of the league by not letting the balance get out of hand. This league is only as good as the GMs involved in it. Makes me wonder if a Lebron James for Stuckey deal was accepted if it would make it through unscathed.

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however, in such a case, "democracy" ain't working (ok, I don't think it ever works). On the one hand, one would have to re-evaluate that LBJ-DHo and some other guy trade. Moreover, it would always need someone to speak up, in order to avoid the impression of arbitrariness. Lastly, this is a simulation of real life NBA. Sometimes, a GM just "robs" another GM.

however, in such a case, "democracy" ain't working (ok, I don't think it ever works). On the one hand, one would have to re-evaluate that LBJ-DHo and some other guy trade. Moreover, it would always need someone to speak up, in order to avoid the impression of arbitrariness. Lastly, this is a simulation of real life NBA. Sometimes, a GM just "robs" another GM.

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Well, in this case it actually did work. I think that thanks to Roscoe we have a forum to discuss fairness and act accordingly as a group once an objection to a trade is made. That's how it should be done. Most of the commentary about the other trade (LBJ-DHO) came after it was already processed. I don't seem to remember it being as lopsided as this deal though. At least it was a two for oneThis was a 3 stars for 1 1/2 stars trade. I'm happy with how this was handled and the good sportsmanship showed by all involved. Makes me proud to be a part of this league and reinforces my decision to make it a "vote veto" league. No one person should have the weight of determining if something is fair or not in these things. It's too ambiguous of a notion and would cause more arguments than anything else.

Anywho, I'm ready to move forward. This issue is dead. See y'all at the finish line. Should be exciting!

It's such a fine line though. The LBJ trade started when I was offered LBJ for Tony Parker and Dwight. I thought, OK this sounds good but how can I make this better for myself, let's see if the opposing GM bites on me swapping out Parker for Lin in the deal. He did. No underhandedness, no malice - simply a trade put together in which I came out better, which of course was my aim. I or any other GM can't be responsible for safeguarding the interests of the other guy, or the league. Similar to a lot of trades we see in real life - Sacto just got absolutely robbed of Thomas Robinson just two days ago.

It would be a shame if we arrived at trades by committee in this league. I for one am disappointed Laimbeer's trade didn't go through.

I think my point is, a fair outcome for both sides is never the aim in trade talks, and assuming a basic level of integrity (which we have to) then no trade should really be vetoed unless an error has been made.

It's such a fine line though. The LBJ trade started when I was offered LBJ for Tony Parker and Dwight. I thought, OK this sounds good but how can I make this better for myself, let's see if the opposing GM bites on me swapping out Parker for Lin in the deal. He did. No underhandedness, no malice - simply a trade put together in which I came out better, which of course was my aim. I or any other GM can't be responsible for safeguarding the interests of the other guy, or the league. Similar to a lot of trades we see in real life - Sacto just got absolutely robbed of Thomas Robinson just two days ago.

It would be a shame if we arrived at trades by committee in this league. I for one am disappointed Laimbeer's trade didn't go through.

I think my point is, a fair outcome for both sides is never the aim in trade talks, and assuming a basic level of integrity (which we have to) then no trade should really be vetoed unless an error has been made.

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Agree to disagree. Playing in leagues where the deals are horribly lopsided is cancerous. Having a deal like that go through between two family members would have set a horrible precedent. This league has had voting enabled since it's inception. I can't even remember the last veto so I would say that in general the league has been exceptional with finding the balance between someone simply getting over in a trade and someone drastically compromising the competitiveness in the league by giving away three first rounders. This is the same reason why we have the Yahoo Do Not Drop list in place. We guard against extreme cases that zap the fun out of the league.

Just to be clear, a couple of you have mentioned my team was trading 1 1/2 stars away. I am assuming that you are counting Kobe Bryant (ranked #4 of all players in the NBA) as a full superstar. So Damian Lilliard is 1/2 star? Perhaps no one is following him this year:

Someone needs to track their stats from this point of the season onwards to evaluate the merit of the trade. Everyone thought the Lakers' Pau Gasol trade was miserably lopsided. Now it doesn't look so bad. I'm comparing apples and oranges, but still.

I've told Mr. Laimbeer all season that I'm just not into fantasy sports much any longer. This is a reay nice league though and has nothing to do with it. You work really hard but then get knocked out of the playoffs on a fluke.

This season I'm really pissed off about last week. I was a very solid playoff contender but now I'm not even in the playoffs because of that short week. I lost freaking 8-1!! Not taking anything away from my opponent, maybe he played really well..I have no clue. But I think I was outnumbered 25-15. Nobody has a chance under those conditions But Im a little glad too, because I just want it to be over.

But I do plan to play football next season.

I'm tired of the misunderstandings, complaining, and frustrations that go with fantasy sports. But at least you see people's true colors... Or maybe not. Maybe we just see the worst in others. But really...this particular league is a really good one and public leagues are a joke. Very competitive league the advanced is. Maybe sometimes we just get lost in it. It doesn't feel like a game to me, usually. More like a contest. Not sure if there is really a distinction between the two, but to me it gets too serious. We work hard and then somebody quits, or we think something is unfair, or we just have some really bad breaks (freak injuries, poor scheduling, of an opponent who plays out of their skull for one week in the post season. It happens in real sports too but not to this extent.

Well, I apologize for going off on a tangent (sp)? but I guess that is partially why we have a forum. And nobody ever for Ed anyone to read stuff.